Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-09-08
Sherman and the Presidency.
Something for the Wool Growers
and Farmers.
A Talk with the Hon. VIM. Lawrence.

Eighths districts in Congress. The po
litical observations of Judge Lawrence
prove that be has given certain matters
careful attention. and they bear upon
their face the stamp of careful foret
thought. They will be read with wide
interest. as it is known that the speaker
is a representative Buckeye and the idol
of an immense constituency in Ohio.
The following are extracts from the
talk with the Judge:
How about the Republican nomina-
Jion for the Presidency?
That is year hence. Still 1t is sub
ject which is being considered by the
people. l am in favor of the nomina>
ton of John Sherman for several rea'
sons: The people of Ohio may uatural+
" feel degree of state pride in having
one of her native born citizens to be
President. Many of them feel like sup
porting Sherman for this reason. But
the Republican State convention has in
dorsed Sherman as candidate, for
other reasOns-reasons which are oper>
ative in every state, which is much bet
ter and more effective. l would favor
Sherman's nomination as readily if
were citizen of New York or Florida,
as l would being citizen of Ohio
There are many reasons why be should
be nominated. and these when duly con-
sidered render it very probable he will
be. Among them 1 may mention some:
He has had longer and larger expert
ence than any statesman now in any
official position in the United States.
He has been Representative in Congress,
Senator, and Secretary of the Treasury.
He has been uniformly right on every
public question, or at least if he ever
made temporary mistake it has been
speedily corrected. He is the oIigina>
tor of more, and more useful, legislation,
either by bills introduced by him in Con-
gress, or by legislation nodded or sug-
gested by him, than any other living
statesman To large extent he may
be said to be the author of our currency
system-the best in the world. Judge
Bingham, our late Minister to Japan,re-
Gently told me that it had been copied
and adopted in Japan. He is TO large
extent the author Of financial measures
by internal revenue, tariff, ETC., which
carried US safely through the war, and
now finds US with credit scarcely
equsled by any nation of the world.
Without bis financial measures the re
bellion never could have been suppress
ed. He gave US the 'sinews of war
every soldier and every patriot owes
him debt of gratitude. Every laoorer
knows that Sherman's policy of protec+
tion gives him employment and cOmpen-
sation In good money-a result never
reached in all the prior history of the
government. In the Senate Sherman
secured the legislation necessary for the
resumption of specie payments. and as
Secretary of the Treasury he brought it
about, against all predictions of failure.
Every farmer feels the effect Of pro
tective tariff in the home market for his
products made 10y manufactures, and he
gets his pay in good money. Every bus
ness man, the mechanic. the manufactt
urer, the merchant, all know that Sher'
man is safe-his policy is safe-his ad
ministration would be safe-business
would prosper. He has stood by the
colored men and been their friend in
every measure they ever asked. He
would in view of all this be a popular
candidate - he can be elected. The
farm ers, the mechanics. the laborers, the
merchants, the business men, would
give him an earnest support. The Ger
mans all over the country were the
earnest friends of resumption and good
money. Sherman can caray enough
German Democrats to turn the scale in
his favor in New York, Indiana, New
Jersey, Connecticut, and other States.
No other candidate can. Some of the
colored men are hostile to Mr.. Blaine
because he approved the so-called free
bill.' which they thought essential to
give them protection in their rights.
Any disaffection among the colOred vot-
eri may lose US the States of West Vir
ginia, Virginia, Tennessee, and South
Carolina. Sherman can carry the colOr>
ed vote solid and probably save these
States to the Republican cause. Sher>
man has declared himself in favor of a
law of Congress to regulate elections for
members of Congress and protect color
ed votes. This, and his uniform. sup>
port of all measures for their protection
and the hotel incident on bis recent tour
in the South, makes him almost as
be Lincoln himself if he were alive
How do you regard New York as be-
tween Blaine and ShermanP
No one was more disappointed at the
defeat of Mr.. Blaine, or regretted it
more sincerely than l did and do. We
can now look bark and see some of the
elements that brought this result. There
were three elements of opposition to
Mr.. Blaine: First-The so-called civil
service reformers' like George William
Curtis; they feared Blaine would not
carry out their ideas of civil service
Their complaints were unjust. Second
The men who affected to call in ques-
ton the integrity of Mr.. Blaine, espe+
cially in connection with alleged rail-
road operations and some of his acts in
Congress. They relied largely on the
so called Mulligan letters and the in
vestigation by Congress in relation to
them, never completed. Carl SchurZ
made terrific speeches against Blaine
and they had their effect. which was
perhaps aided by the so-called Jay
Gould dinner TO Blaine just before the
election. A severe pamphlet was pub
lished in New York against Mr.. Blaine,
which had its effect. All these accusa-
tions were unjust, but they had their
effect. SchurZ made an impression not
only among Germans, bnt too many
others. Third - The 'Conkling men
were hostile to Blaine. This grew out
of a wordy and bitter quarrel In the
house of Representatives when Blaine
and Conkling were both members, and
which l happened to hear. as l was
in Congress. This was aggravated by
the enormous impression that Blaine
induced President Garfield to remove
from office the collector at New York. a
friend of Conkling, and in consequence
of which Congling resigned his seat in
the Senate. Added to all this comes the
story that ConkliDg w0uld have made
speech or speeches for Blaine in 1884 if
Blaine had asked him to do 80, but he
did not. Conkling has hosts and hosts
Htfriends in New York, warm personal